The new year started with the bloodiest military assault on Gaza in decades. Some 700 Palestinians have been killed, among them 43 innocent civilians who died after Israel bombed a United Nations school being used as a shelter. That happened yesterday; even as the developments in Gaza move too fast to keep up, the cumulative story remains the same: death, destruction, an appalling humanitarian crisis -- despite claims to the contrary -- and no end in sight.

Below are only some of the stories on the horrific events unfolding in Gaza. For more coverage, including the voices of victims' family members and journalists on the ground (despite Israel's ban on foreign reporters), visit AlterNet's Rights & Liberties section.

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In the early morning hours of New Year's Day, 22-year-old Oscar Grant was shot in the back by Bay Area Rapid Transit police in Oakland, CA. Grant was on the ground alongside other young men of color who had been pulled off a train after an alleged scuffle. Video footage shot by a witness -- who refused to hand over her camera to police as they confiscated others' phones and cameras -- show Grant subdued, lying on his stomach on the train platform before he was shot. He died soon thereafter, leaving behind a 4-year old daughter.

My Grandpa Lives in GazaBy Laila Al-Arian, The NationMy family has struggled to get in touch with my grandfather. As missiles rain over his Gaza neighborhood, I can only imagine what he is thinking. Read more »